City of Calgary update on response to COVID-19

The City of Calgary continues maintaining essential services during a state of emergency with orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please see below for the latest updates.

Calgary Community Response Fund

Through a formal partnership with The City of Calgary (including the Calgary Emergency Management Agency), United Way of Calgary and Area has been asked to establish a local COVID-19 Community Response Fund to support community social service agencies who are working diligently to keep Calgarians safe and well during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund will allow for a collaborative citywide fundraising effort, which will make it easier for Calgarians to contribute to one, centralized fund and ensure an effective, coordinated response to support the local community.

Census

Due to our current state of emergency, The City has decided to postpone the 2020 census to later this year or possibly next year.

The census is conducted to obtain an official count of dwelling units, population and other demographic information. Census data is used to make informed decisions on the provision of population-based city services. In keeping with provincial legislation, census data is normally collected door-to-door and online starting April 1 and ending mid-June.

The gathering of census workers for required training and door-to-door collection of data presents an unnecessary risk to census workers and citizens. For more information about the census, please visit Calgary.ca/census

Fair Entry

The Fair Entry site at the Municipal Building is now closed. The site at the Village Square Leisure Centre is unavailable with the closure of this facility. After March 20, all applications and Fair Entry services must be made by phone, online, or by mail or fax. Please call 311 to get one-on-one assistance, including assistance in a language other than English.

Planning & Development service counter

Effective today, the Planning and Development counter is temporarily closed, and we are accepting applications only through our online systems at apply.calgary.ca. We are still operating normal business hours. Support continues to be available by phone and live chat.

Waste & Recycling Services

Waste & Recycling Services will be making some changes to waste collection and landfill disposal, including:

Green cart collection will remain at every other week (instead of switching to weekly collection in April). No extra bags of yard waste will be picked up starting March 24, 2020.

Black carts are collected every other week. No extra bags of garbage will be picked up starting March 24, 2020.

Blue carts are collected every week.

City landfills (Shepard, East Calgary and Spyhill) will stay on the six-day schedule, however only credit and debit cards are now accepted for payment.

These changes are to help reduce our drivers’ contact with other people and minimize touching surfaces. Calgary households may see a change in their pickup day for their blue, green or black cart starting the week of April 6. These changes allow Waste & Recycling Services to remain efficient and provide flexibility for maintaining service through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents should visit calgary.ca/collection to check their collection schedule and sign up for convenient reminders by email, text message, telephone or the Garbage Day app.

Animal Services

The City’s no cost spay/neuter program has been suspended. All previously scheduled appointments for this program are now canceled and indefinitely postponed. If you have questions, please contact 311 or check the web page.

Currently, the Animal Services Centre remains open to the public. However, to limit our staff’s exposure to the public, we ask that no stray animals are brought to the facility unless it is injured or in distress, and cannot be taken to a veterinary clinic. If you believe your animal has been impounded and are sending a designate to claim your pet, please call ahead to notify the shelter. Your designate must present photo ID at the time of pick up.

The City has heard concerns about the water supply, and would like reassure citizens that safe, clean drinking water will continue running.

Utility Payment

If you are struggling to pay your water bill during this time you can contact ENMAX, our contracted billing provider, at 310-2010 to discuss options that are available to you.

Water Utility customers will not have their water service disconnected for non-payment during this time.

Physical distancing

The City’s infectious disease plan is in place and things are going according to schedule, says Tom Sampson, Director of Calgary Emergency Management.

“It’s incredibly important to practice physical distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19 within our community,” said Sampson. “For those who are feeling unwell or who have returned from an international trip, you must stay home. But it’s also important to know that staying home doesn’t mean you can’t go outside to get some fresh air or enjoy a walk on our pathways or parks as long as you are at a distance from others.”